For more information, contact Sally Oxenhandler at (573) 522-3375 or MoDOT Communications at (573) 751-3322.

June 30, 2017 09:19 AM

Lake Interchange, Route 66 Bridge Included in Highway Construction Program

JEFFERSON CITY – Two big central Missouri road and bridge projects – a new interchange at Routes 54 and W at the Lake of the Ozarks and a new bridge on the Interstate 44 outer road over the Gasconade River in Laclede County – are included in the five-year construction program approved yesterday by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

The 2018-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2018 through 2022 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022). The majority of the projects included in the program are maintenance projects aimed at keeping the state’s road and bridge system in good condition.

“The new interchange and bridge have long been transportation priorities for the central Missouri region, and it’s good to finally be able to move forward with them,” said Missouri Department of Transportation District Engineer David Silvester.

An advisory group has been established to determine the best and most cost-effective traffic solution for the intersection of Route 54 with Route W, near the Bagnell Dam at the Lake of the Ozarks. The junction is the only remaining Route 54 intersection between Kingdom City and Camdenton with a traffic signal. The area is heavily congested and has a history of traffic crashes.

Construction of the new interchange is tentatively set to begin in the summer of 2019, with the project scheduled for completion in 2021.

Plans for the Gasconade River bridge in Laclede County call for a new bridge to be built adjacent to Interstate 44. The current bridge, located on the Interstate 44 outer road, has been closed since Dec. 18, 2014, because of deterioration.

The project is tentatively scheduled to bid in April 2018, with construction beginning in summer 2018. MoDOT hopes to have traffic on the new bridge by summer 2019.

MoDOT is accepting proposals through Sept. 30 from parties interested in preserving the current structure, which carries Route 66 over the Gasconade River.

More information about the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is available at www.modot.org or by calling 1-888-275-6636.